A biography of the dollar and the story of its astonishing career through the wilds of American history - as a form of art, a kind of advertising, and a reflection of American attitudes. Bibliography, Index. B&W illus. 320p.

The Ottoman Empire has exerted a long, strong pull on Western minds and hearts. This book charts the history from the first campaigns to the Charge of the Light Brigade, from the Crusades to the Dardenelles, and brings to life innumerable aspects of Ottoman life.

Dramatic and passionate, comic and gruesome, history of the Ottoman Empire - from its victory over French crusaders in 1396 to its sudden collapse at the onset of the 20th century - unfolds in this dazzling sequence of mysteries, triumphs, treasures, and terrors. Chronology, Glossary, Bibliography, Index. 352p.

A rich evocation of the lost world of the Ottoman Empire traces the rise of the Turks, showing their early world dominance, which touched Europe, Africa, and India, and exploring the Empire's long degeneration and fall.

Istanbul, 1840: the young sultan Abdulmecid believes that Gentile Bellini’s vanished masterpiece, a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror, may have resurfaced in Venice. But it’s not Yashim, the eunuch detective, who takes a ship across the Mediterranean. Instead, it’s his Polish ambassador friend, Palewski, disguised as an American art dealer. What begins as a simple inquiry soon turns into a murderous game of deception and suspense, played out among the faded palazzi and sluggish canals of the decaying city. Dealers, forgers, and aristocrats become fatally involved as the search for the Bellini portrait uncovers a threat to the stability of the Ottoman throne, and the peace of Europe. 286p.